Gaming machine having electrophoretic displays and method thereof

ABSTRACT

A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes a value input device for receiving a wager and at least one rotatable reel. The reel comprises a reel strip arranged about the periphery of a cage. The reel strip comprises an alterable film for displaying a plurality of symbols. The gaming machine further comprises a controller operative to alter the appearance of at least one of the plurality of symbols displayed on the film.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation-in-Part under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) ofInternational Application No. PCT/US2005/029919, filed Aug. 24, 2005,which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.60/606,381, filed Sep. 1, 2004, the contents of which are incorporatedherein by reference.

COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patentdisclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patentfiles or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rightswhatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to gaming machines, and methodsfor playing wagering games, and more particularly, to a gaming machinehaving one or more electrophoretic displays.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and thelike, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years.Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent onthe likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machineand the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to otheravailable gaming options. Where the available gaming options include anumber of competing machines and the expectation of winning at eachmachine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players arelikely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines.Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining andexciting machines, features, and enhancements available because suchmachines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to theoperator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machinemanufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gamingenhancements that will attract frequent play through enhancedentertainment value to the player.

One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance theentertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus”game that may be played in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonusgame may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completelydifferent from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of aselected event or outcome in the basic game. Generally, bonus gamesprovide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and mayalso be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displaysand/or audio. Bonus games may additionally award players with“progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by apercentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality ofparticipating gaming machines. Because the bonus game concept offerstremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to otherknown games, and because such games are attractive to both players andoperators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines withnew types of bonus games to satisfy the demands of players andoperators.

Traditional gaming machines have incorporated a variety of displays toimprove gameplay depiction, as well as provide signage on the gamingmachine. However, displays in traditional mechanical reel gamingmachines are limited given the static nature of the reel strips on eachreel. One limitation with traditional mechanical reel slot machines isthat in order for the gaming machine to be updated with a new ordifferent game, the physical reel strips on the reels must be manuallychanged. Moreover, traditional displays such as LCD video displays andLEDS consume considerable quantities of power, particularly as gamingmachine manufacturers strive to add more displays to increase theaesthetics and attraction of their products. Traditional displays alsolack versatility due to their rigidity, viewing angle, and lowercontrast. The present invention is directed to solving one or more ofthese and other problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, a gaming machine forconducting a wagering game includes a value input device for receiving awager and at least one rotatable reel. The reel comprises a reel striparranged about the periphery of a cage. The reel strip comprises analterable film for displaying a plurality of symbols. The gaming machinefurther comprises a controller operative to alter the appearance of atleast one of the plurality of symbols displayed on the film.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of conducting awagering game on a gaming machine comprises receiving a wager from aplayer and rotating at least one rotatable reel, the reel including aplurality of symbols, the reel comprising a reel strip arranged aboutthe periphery of a cage, the reel strip comprising an alterable film fordisplaying a plurality of symbols. The film comprises a plurality ofcharged particles positioned between a top electrode and a bottomelectrode. The method further comprises altering the appearance of atleast one of the plurality of symbols displayed on the film.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a gaming machine forconducting a wagering game includes a value input device for receiving awager, a housing, and a display for displaying a plurality of symbols,the symbols indicating a randomly-selected outcome selected from aplurality of possible outcomes, the plurality of outcomes including atleast one winning outcome. The gaming machine further includes at leastone electrophoretic film forming an alterable display, and a controlleroperative to alter the appearance of the film.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method for changing reelsymbols on a mechanical reel of a gaming machine includes positioning aflexible electrophoretic image display over a reel wherein theelectrophoretic image displays reel symbols the are generated byinstructions from a computing device.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a computer readablestorage medium is encoded with instructions for directing a gamingdevice to perform the above method.

Additional aspects of the invention will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of variousembodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a briefdescription of which is provided below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gaming machine embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system suitable for operating thegaming machine;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mechanical reel of the gaming machineof FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an electrophoretic display; and

FIGS. 5 a-5 d are perspective views of alternative embodiments of themechanical reel of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understandingthat the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification ofthe principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broadaspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

Referring to FIG. 1, a gaming machine 10 is used in gamingestablishments such as casinos. With regard to the present invention,the gaming machine 10 may be any type of gaming machine and may havevarying structures and methods of operation. For example, the gamingmachine 10 may be an electromechanical gaming machine configured to playmechanical slots, or it may be an electronic gaming machine configuredto play a video casino game, such as blackjack, slots, keno, poker,blackjack, roulette, etc.

The gaming machine 10 comprises a housing 12 and includes input devices,including a value input device 18 and a player input device 24. Foroutput the gaming machine 10 includes a primary display 14 fordisplaying information about the basic wagering game. The primarydisplay 14 can also display information about a bonus wagering game anda progressive wagering game. The gaming machine 10 may also include asecondary display 16 for displaying game events, game outcomes, and/orsignage information. While these typical components found in the gamingmachine 10 are described below, it should be understood that numerousother elements may exist and may be used in any number of combinationsto create various forms of a gaming machine 10.

The value input device 18 may be provided in many forms, individually orin combination, and is preferably located on the front of the housing12. The value input device 18 receives currency and/or credits that areinserted by a player. The value input device 18 may include a coinacceptor 20 for receiving coin currency (see FIG. 1). Alternatively, orin addition, the value input device 18 may include a bill acceptor 22for receiving paper currency. Furthermore, the value input device 18 mayinclude a ticket reader, or barcode scanner, for reading informationstored on a credit ticket, a card, or other tangible portable creditstorage device. The credit ticket or card may also authorize access to acentral account, which can transfer money to the gaming machine 10.

The player input device 24 comprises a plurality of push buttons 26 on abutton panel for operating the gaming machine 10. In addition, oralternatively, the player input device 24 may comprise a touch screen 28mounted by adhesive, tape, or the like over the primary display 14and/or secondary display 16. The touch screen 28 contains soft touchkeys 30 denoted by graphics on the underlying primary display 14 andused to operate the gaming machine 10. The touch screen 28 providesplayers with an alternative method of input. A player enables a desiredfunction either by touching the touch screen 28 at an appropriate touchkey 30 or by pressing an appropriate push button 26 on the button panel.The touch keys 30 may be used to implement the same functions as pushbuttons 26. Alternatively, the push buttons 26 may provide inputs forone aspect of the operating the game, while the touch keys 30 may allowfor input needed for another aspect of the game.

The various components of the gaming machine 10 may be connecteddirectly to, or contained within, the housing 12, as seen in FIG. 1, ormay be located outboard of the housing 12 and connected to the housing12 via a variety of different wired or wireless connection methods.Thus, the gaming machine 10 comprises these components whether housed inthe housing 12, or outboard of the housing 12 and connected remotely.

The operation of the basic wagering game is displayed to the player onthe primary display 14. The primary display 14 can also display thebonus game associated with the basic wagering game. Preferably, as seenin FIG. 1, the primary display 14 includes a plurality of mechanicalreels 60 to display the outcome of the wagering game. More specifically,the mechanical reels 60 each bear a plurality of symbols 62 positionedaround the periphery of the reels 60. Winning combinations of symbols 62landing on at least one payline 32 are awarded in accordance with apaytable. Alternatively, the primary display 14 may take the form of acathode ray tube (CRT), a high resolution LCD, a plasma display, an LED,or any other type of display suitable for use in the gaming machine 10.In the illustrated embodiment, the gaming machine 10 is an “upright”version in which the primary display 14 is oriented vertically relativeto the player. Alternatively, the gaming machine may be a “slant-top”version in which the primary display 14 is slanted at about athirty-degree angle toward the player of the gaming machine 10.

A player begins play of the basic wagering game by making a wager viathe value input device 18 of the gaming machine 10. A player can selectplay by using the player input device 24, via the buttons 26 or thetouch screen keys 30. The basic game consists of a plurality of symbolsarranged in an array, and includes at least one payline 32 thatindicates one or more outcomes of the basic game. Such outcomes arerandomly selected in response to the wagering input by the player. Atleast one of the plurality of randomly-selected outcomes may be astart-bonus outcome, which can include any variations of symbols orsymbol combinations triggering a bonus game.

In some embodiments, the gaming machine 10 may also include a playerinformation reader 52 that allows for identification of a player byreading a card with information indicating his or her true identity. Theplayer information reader 52 is shown in FIG. 1 as a card reader, butmay take on many forms including a ticket reader, bar code scanner, RFIDtransceiver or computer readable storage medium interface. Currently,identification is generally used by casinos for rewarding certainplayers with complimentary services or special offers. For example, aplayer may be enrolled in the gaming establishment's loyalty club andmay be awarded certain complimentary services as that player collectspoints in his or her player-tracking account. The player inserts his orher card into the player information reader 52, which allows thecasino's computers to register that player's wagering at the gamingmachine 10. The gaming machine 10 may use the secondary display 16 orother dedicated player-tracking display for providing the player withinformation about his or her account or other player-specificinformation. Also, in some embodiments, the information reader 52 may beused to restore game assets that the player achieved and saved during aprevious game session.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the various components of the gaming machine 10are controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) 34, also referred toherein as a controller or processor (such as a microcontroller ormicroprocessor). To provide gaming functions, the controller 34 executesone or more game programs stored in a computer readable storage medium,in the form of memory 36. The controller 34 performs the randomselection (using a random number generator (RNG)) of an outcome from theplurality of possible outcomes of the wagering game. Alternatively, therandom event may be determined at a remote controller. The remotecontroller may use either an RNG or pooling scheme for its centraldetermination of a game outcome. It should be appreciated that thecontroller 34 may include one or more microprocessors, including but notlimited to a master processor, a slave processor, and a secondary orparallel processor.

The controller 34 is also coupled to the system memory 36 and amoney/credit detector 38. The system memory 36 may comprise a volatilememory (e.g., a random-access memory (RAM)) and a non-volatile memory(e.g., an EEPROM). The system memory 36 may include multiple RAM andmultiple program memories. The money/credit detector 38 signals theprocessor that money and/or credits have been input via the value inputdevice 18. Preferably, these components are located within the housing12 of the gaming machine 10. However, as explained above, thesecomponents may be located outboard of the housing 12 and connected tothe remainder of the components of the gaming machine 10 via a varietyof different wired or wireless connection methods.

As seen in FIG. 2, the controller 34 is also connected to, and controls,the primary display 14, the player input device 24, and a payoffmechanism 40. The payoff mechanism 40 is operable in response toinstructions from the controller 34 to award a payoff to the player inresponse to certain winning outcomes that might occur in the basic gameor the bonus game(s). The payoff may be provided in the form of points,bills, tickets, coupons, cards, etc. For example, in FIG. 1, the payoffmechanism 40 includes both a ticket printer 42 and a coin outlet 44.However, any of a variety of payoff mechanisms 40 well known in the artmay be implemented, including cards, coins, tickets, smartcards, cash,etc. The payoff amounts distributed by the payoff mechanism 40 aredetermined by one or more pay tables stored in the system memory 36.

Communications between the controller 34 and both the peripheralcomponents of the gaming machine 10 and external systems 50 occurthrough input/output (I/O) circuits 46, 48. More specifically, thecontroller 34 controls and receives inputs from the peripheralcomponents of the gaming machine 10 through the input/output circuits46. Further, the controller 34 communicates with the external systems 50via the I/O circuits 48 and a communication path (e.g., serial,parallel, IR, RC, 10bT, etc.). The external systems 50 may include agaming network, other gaming machines, a gaming server, communicationshardware, or a variety of other interfaced systems or components.Although the I/O circuits 46, 48 may be shown as a single block, itshould be appreciated that each of the I/O circuits 46, 48 may include anumber of different types of I/O circuits.

Controller 34, as used herein, comprises any combination of hardware,software, and/or firmware that may be disposed or resident inside and/oroutside of the gaming machine 10 that may communicate with and/orcontrol the transfer of data between the gaming machine 10 and a bus,another computer, processor, or device and/or a service and/or anetwork. The controller 34 may comprise one or more controllers orprocessors. In FIG. 2, the controller 34 in the gaming machine 10 isdepicted as comprising a CPU, but the controller 34 may alternativelycomprise a CPU in combination with other components, such as the I/Ocircuits 46, 48 and the system memory 36.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a perspective view of one of the mechanical reels60 of the primary display 14 of the gaming machine 10 is depicted. Thereel 60 includes a reel strip 64 circumferentially mounted around a cageor drum 66. The cage 66 forms a cylindrical support mechanism onto whichthe reel strip 64 is mounted. The cage 66 is rotatable about a centralaxis AA. Preferably all of the reels 60 of the gaming machine 10 aremounted to be rotatable about axes parallel to axis AA. The cage 66 maybe constructed of any suitable material to create a rigid or semi-rigidsupport for the reel strip 64, but preferably the cage 66 is fabricatedof plastic. The reel strip 64 bears a plurality of symbols 62 about theperiphery of the reel 60. The symbols 62 may include any variety ofsymbols including blanks which form combinations appearing on a payline32 after each play or spin of the slot game. Certain combinations ofsymbols 62 are defined as winning combinations for which awards are paidto the player in accordance with a paytable. According to the presentinvention, the symbols 62 on the reel strip 64 are modifiable due to theconstruction of the reel strip 64. The reel strip 64 comprises acylindrical band of electrophoretic film 80. Electrophoretic film 80 (orpaper) may also be referred to as e-paper, digital paper, electronicink, or digital ink and is commercially available from such companies asE Ink Corporation of Cambridge, Mass. and Magink Display Technologies,Inc. of San Bruno, Calif. The electrophoretic film 80 is incommunication with a data source 100 which controls the appearance andmodification of the symbols 64 on the film 80. Specifically, the datasource modifies the charges at the charge points 94 (see FIG. 4) tochange the appearance of the video images, in this case symbols 62, onthe reel strip 64 formed by the film 80. The data source 100 may bemounted either on the outside of the reel 60 as seen in FIG. 3, or mayalternatively be mounted on the inside or on either the left or rightside of the reel 60 such that it is proximate the reel strip 64.

A cross-section of the electrophoretic film 80 is depicted in FIG. 4.The film 80 comprises a top transparent electrode 82, a bottom electrode84, and a plurality of microcapsules 86 positioned between the twoelectrodes 82,84. The top electrode 82 is constructed of a transparentor translucent material so as to permit light to reflect off of themicrocapsules 86 making them visible. Thus, the top electrode 82comprises the viewable side of the film 80. Each of the microcapsules 86comprises a plurality of positively charged particles 88 and negativelycharged particles 90 suspended in a transparent or clear fluid medium92. Preferably the positively charged particles 88 are a first colorwhile the negatively charged particles 90 are a second color. In oneembodiment, the positively charged particles 88 are white, while thenegatively charged particles 90 are black. The particles 88,90 are freeto move about the microcapsule 86 by translating through the fluid 92contained therein.

The bottom electrode 84 comprises a plurality of charge points 94. Eachmicrocapsule is associated with one or more charge points 94 as seen inFIG. 4. In one embodiment, each microcapsule 86 is associated with, andcontrolled by, two charge points 94. The charge points 94 may carryeither a positive charge or a negative charge of varying strength, andtransmit such charge to the associated microcapsule 86. For example,looking at the first microcapsule 86 a in FIG. 4, a negative charge isapplied by both charge points 94. This causes the negatively chargedparticles 90 to be repelled by the like charged charge points 94 whilethe positively charged particles 88 are attracted by the oppositelycharged charge points 94. This causes separation of the coloredparticles 88, 90, causing the negatively charged particles 90 to move tothe top or front side of the microcapsule 86 a, while the positivelycharged particles 88 move to the bottom or back side of the microcapsule86 a. With the negatively charged particles 90 accumulating on the frontside of the microcapsule 86 a nearest the top transparent electrode 82,the point on the top electrode adjacent to the microcapsule 86 a appearsthe color of the negatively charged particles 90, which in thisembodiment is black. However, it should be understood that the particles88,90 may be colored any combination of two colors, providing that thereis a visual contrast between the colors. Moreover, more than two colorsor shades may be utilized within a single microcapsule 86 to provide avariety of visual and shading effects. For example, in one embodiment,clusters of red, green, and blue microcapsules 86 form pixels which maybe colored any color of visible light by varying the intensities of thethree primary colors of the microcapsules 86. Other embodiments usingtwo or more colors are possible based upon various configurations of theparticles 88,90 within the microcapsules 86, and the arrangement of themicrocapsules 86 themselves within the film 80.

A second example is shown by a second microcapsule 86 b in FIG. 4. Inthis instance, the charge points 94 are charged differently, with onepoint 94 being charged negatively while the other point 94 is chargedwith a positive charge. Such a configuration causes a mixture ofnegatively charged particles 90 and positively charged particles 88 inthe microcapsule 86 b to accumulate at the back of the microcapsule 86 anearest the charge points 94. Similarly, a mixture of negatively andpositively charged particles 90,88 accumulate near the front of themicrocapsule 86 b nearest the top transparent electrode 82. This mixturecauses the microcapsule 86 b to appear a mixture of the two colors ofthe particles 88, 90, which in this embodiment appears a gray color as amixture of black and white particles 88,90. It should be understood thatvarying the strength of negative charge point 94 relative to thepositive charge point 94 affects the balance of negatively chargedparticles 90 and positively charged particles 88 accumulating on theopposite sides of the microcapsule 86 b. In this way, controlling thecharges and strength of charge on the charge points 94 adjusts themixture of the two colors of charged particles 88,90, permitting themicrocapsule 86 b to be adjusted across an entire range of shades orcolors comprised by mixing various amounts of the two colors of theparticles 88,90. In the black and white example shown, the adjustablemixing permits gray-scale shading from white to black and a variety ofshades of gray in between.

The electrophoretic film 80 may be placed in proximity to a data source100 which controls the nature and strength of the charges points 94.Preferably, the film 80 is laminated to a layer of circuitry whichserves as the data source 100 for the charge points 94, although avariety of data sources 100 may be used to transfer data and informationto the film 80 containing the video images to be displayed. Thecircuitry forms a pattern of pixels at the charge points 94 that can becontrolled by a display driver in communication with the circuitry.Furthermore, the microcapsules 86 may be suspended in a liquid mediumwhich permits them to be printed onto virtually any surface using screenprinting and other printing techniques. This permits the microcapsules86 to be applied or “printed” on virtually any medium including glass,plastic, fabric, and even paper. One embodiment of an electrophoreticdisplay is formed by printing the microcapsules onto a layer of plasticor other substrate and then laminating the substrate over a layer ofcircuitry. Because the substrate is configured to be relatively thin,the charge points 94 remain in communication with the microcapsules 86for purposes of activating color changes in the microcapsules 86 asdescribed.

Alternate embodiments of reels 60 using electrophoretic films 80 aredepicted in FIGS. 5 a-d. In FIG. 5 a, a reel strip 64 is shown. Unlikethe reel strip 64 in FIG. 3, the reel strip 64 in FIG. 5 a is notentirely made of electrophoretic film 80, but rather includes aplurality of electrophoretic film portions 80. In this way, the reelstrip 64 may include static display portions as well as the dynamicdisplays provided by the electrophoretic films 80. The films 80 may bepositioned so as to correspond to each symbol position on the reel 60,or only selected symbol positions. In FIG. 5 b, an alternativeembodiment is shown whereby two or more reel strip portions 64 a,b areutilized to form the entire reel strip 64. Each portion 64 a,b includesone or more electrophoretic film portions 80 in one or more symbolpositions. Yet another alternative, depicted in FIG. 5 c, is a singlereel strip 64 upon which one or more electrophoretic films 80 areapplied in selected positions to form dynamic displays. In FIG. 5 d afourth alternative is depicted. The reel strip 64 in FIG. 5 d comprisesa plurality of electrophoretic films 80 as in FIGS. 5 a and 5 b.However, in addition to the electrophoretic displays 80, the entire reelstrip 64 in FIG. 5 d may be overlaid with a static reel strip 65. Thestatic reel strip 65 includes a plurality of symbols 62. Preferably atleast a portion of the static reel strip 65 is translucent ortransparent so as to permit the dynamic displays of the underlyingelectrophoretic films 80 to be transmitted through the static reel strip65. This configuration allows the reel 60 to display dynamic graphics onthe electrophoretic films 80 in combination with the static symbols 62on the static reel strip 64 which overly the films 80. In each of theseconfigurations, the electrophoretic films 80 receive display data fromone or more communication sources 100, as shown in FIG. 3.

One of the benefits of the electrophoretic film 80 is its flexibility,thereby permitting the film 80 to be used to create a dynamic electronicdisplay on a variety of curved and non-rigid surfaces. For example, asdescribed with relation to FIG. 3, the electrophoretic film 80 may beshaped in cylindrical band to form a reel strip 64 on a mechanical reel60. Given the rotating nature of the reel 60, a variety of techniquesmay be used to impart changes on the graphics of the electrophoreticreel strip 64. For example, in one embodiment, data in the form ofchanges in the charges of the charge points 94 on the film 80 formingthe reel strip 64 is transferred to the reels 60 with brush contactspositioned in the gaming machine 10 in communication with the reel strip64. Preferably the brush contacts are in communication with the datasource, and are positioned behind the reel strip 64 within the spaceformed by the cage 66 of the reel 60. In another embodiment, the data istransferred to the reels by magnetic induction through one or moremagnets placed in communication the reels 60. In yet another embodiment,a component facing the reel “paints” the image onto the strip as itrotates by using discrete spatial differences in charge points 94generated to impart a new image to the electrophoretic film 80 formingthe reel strip 64. Thus, the data source 100 may transfer information asto the video image to be displayed by film 80 via any number of methods,both through wired or wireless (or “contactless”) communications, so asto adjust and configure the charge points 94 to properly display thedesired image.

In an alternative embodiment, the reel strips 64 of the gaming machine10, rather than comprising electrophoretic film 80, comprises flexibleLCD displays wrapped around and mounted to the reel cage 66. Theflexible LCD displays are arranged circumferentially about the cage 66to produce a dynamic display on the reel 60. The flexible LCD displaysare manufactured using plastic substrates rather than rigid glasssubstrates, thereby allowing the LCD display to bend and be flexiblesuch that it may be mounted about the cage. The flexible LCD displaysinclude many of the properties of traditional LCD displays such asability to display many colors. Flexible LCD displays are commerciallyavailable from Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. of Seoul, South Korea. Theflexible LCD displays mounted on the cage 66 to form the reel 60 mayreceive image and display data from the data source 100. Suchinformation, as with the electrophoretic film 80, may be communicatedthrough wired transmissions, contactless or wireless transmissions, orrotating brush contacts. Moreover, the flexible LCD display may be usedin conjunction with traditional reel strips or electrophoretic film 80to create a multi-layered reel 60.

One example of contactless communications which may be used to configurecommunications between the data source 100 and the film forming the reelstrip 64, such as that depicted in FIG. 3, utilizing a data source 100that includes a low power RF transmitter and a corresponding antennaeconnected to the film 80 on the reel strip 64. In one embodiment, theantennae is arranged circularly within the inside of the reel 60 andplaced in communication with the film 80 comprising the reel strip 64.The circular orientation of the antenna permits it to receivetransmissions from the RF transmitter regardless of the position of thereel 60, or even while the reel 60 is spinning. The antennae receivesdata communication in radio frequency form from the data source 100,which is an RF transmitter mounted or suspended in close proximity tothe inside of the reel 60 drum. A weak near field RF field is used topower and communicate between these electronics providing contactlesscommunications. One such system utilizing and RF transmitter andantennae is manufactured by Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan.This contactless communication from the data source 100 to the film 80requires very low power and allows for high reliability data transferand long mechanism life, as compared to sliding or touching contactswhere maintenance remains a continuous issue. Other forms of contactlessor wireless data communications between the data source 100 and the film80 on the reel strip 64 may also be utilized.

In addition to the reel strips 64, the electrophoretic film 80 may beapplied to various other components or portions of the gaming machine 10for purposes of producing a variable electronic display. For example,the film 80 may be mounted on a top box of the machine 10, or on thesecondary display 16 of the machine 10 for purposes of providinggameplay information, casino information, or signage on the gamingmachine 10. The film 80 may also be mounted on various portions of thehousing 12, including the sides, front, and top of the housing 12, toprovide various visual information to players and casino personnel. Inanother embodiment, the film 80 may be applied to various peripherals onthe gaming machine 10, such as the buttons 26 of the player input device24. Specifically, the buttons 26 of the player input device 24, whichmay be mechanical, electro-mechanical, or soft buttons, may comprise oneor more labels, indicators, designs, or indicia formed by one or morepiece of electrophoretic film 80. The film 80 on the buttons 26 may inturn be in communication with the processor 34 such that the labels orindicia on the buttons 26 may be dynamically configured. In this way,for example, the processor 34 may download a different game to be playedon the machine 10, which may include a different set of indicia on thebuttons 26. The film 80 on the buttons 26 may then be modified by theprocessor 34 to display the new indicia for the new game on the gamingmachine 10. Thus, the film 80 on the buttons 26 serves as a dynamicbutton display or label, and may be used for altering button displays,animations, indicia, labels, or other purposes. The payoff mechanism 40,player information reader 52, and other peripherals on the machine 10may also be configured to display information with a modifiable displayformed of electrophoretic film 80. Moreover, the film 80 may be used inconjunction with one or more standard video displays, such as a CRT orLCD display. The film 80 may also be utilized in conjunction with atouch screen 28 and soft touch keys 30 to form an alternate player inputdevice 24 on the gaming machine 10.

Moreover, the electrophoretic film 80 may be applied to a variety ofremovable or interfaceable media utilized in conjunction with the gamingmachine 10 to create a variable display thereon. For example, a playertracking card used in conjunction with the player information reader 52may be outfitted with a display formed from electrophoretic film 80. Thefilm 80 on the tracking card may be modified by the player informationreader 52 when the card is inserted or removed from the reader 52. Thefilm 80 on the tracking card may be utilized to provide various gamingand casino information to the player, for example, gaming andstatistical information tracked by the tracking card. In this way, theplayer may receive a visual display of the status of current informationtracked on the card each time the card is inserted and removed from thereader 52. In another embodiment, the ticket printer 42 may printtickets bearing a display formed by the electrophoretic film 80. Thuseach time a player cashes out credit from the machine 10 via the ticketprinter 42, he or she may receive a ticket bearing a variable displayformed from the film 80. The film 80 on the ticket may be used todisplay gaming and casino information to the player, such as creditbalances on the ticket, for example. The types of information visuallydisplayed by the film may vary and is virtually limitless.

The electrophoretic film 80 may be used to dynamically alter the reels60, displays 14,16, or other signage on the housing 12 of the gamingmachine 10 by interfacing with the external systems 50, such as a gamingnetwork, other gaming machines, a gaming server, communicationshardware, etc. The external systems 50 may include a download serverthat communicates with the processor 34 of the gaming machine 10 todownload a variety of images, graphics, and display elements to bedisplayed on the electrophoretic film 80. Specifically, the downloadserver may transfer image data to gaming machine 10, which may transferthe image data to the data source 100 under control of the processor 34.The data source 100 may then utilize the downloaded image data torewrite or alter the image displayed on the film 80 in communicationwith the data source 100. This allows, for example, the symbols 62 onthe reel 60 to be altered, modified, or exchanged from one set ofsymbols 62 to another set of symbols 62. Alternatively, the symbols 62may be modified slightly for visual effect, or even animated. The imagedata from the external systems 50 may also be transferred directly tothe film 80, such as electrophoretic film 80 forming a signage displayon the housing 12 of the gaming machine 10. In such a directconfiguration, the data source 100 is not required, and the image datais communicated to the film 80 by the processor 34 of the machine 10.Any number of downloadable scenarios exists for downloading image datafrom external systems 50 to various electrophoretic films 80 on thegaming machine 10. Furthermore, it should be understood that some or allof the image data may be stored locally on the machine in system memory36 or other storage devices.

The gaming machine 10 of the present invention offers a number ofbenefits and advantages over traditional gaming machines. Firstly,configuring reel strips 64 out of electrophoretic film 80 permits theuse of mechanical reels 60 which have dynamically alterable imagedisplays on them. Such a configuration allows the symbols 62 on the reelstrips 64 to be altered, animated, or changed without the need tophysically alter the machine 10. This provides a large benefit inreducing the amount of time the gaming machine 10 is unavailable forplay and thereby increases profit on the machine 10. Furthermore, theuse of the electrophoretic film 80 on other components of the gamingmachine 10, such as a secondary display 16, signage on the housing 12,or input buttons 26, improves the esthetic value of these components andpermits them to be altered or changed without physically altering themachine 10. This allows the operator of such a gaming machine 10 todownload a new theme and game to the gaming machine 10 from externalsystems 50, which would include altering the buttons 26, signage on thehousing 12 and displays 14,16 to display images associated with the newdownloaded game or theme. This provides a significant benefit byallowing dynamic electronic modification of the displays of the gamingmachine 10. Moreover, the electrophoretic film 80 provides the addedbenefits including providing superior viewing characteristics of papersuch as high contrast, wide viewing angle and bright background;versatility in that the electrophoretic film may comprise many surfacesincluding plastic, metal and paper; and cost savings through low powerdissipation relative to traditional displays.

Each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplatedas falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, whichis set forth in the following claims.

1. A gaming machine comprising: a value input device for receiving awager; at least one rotatable reel, the reel comprising a reel striparranged about the periphery of a cage, the reel strip comprising analterable film for displaying a plurality of symbols, a controlleroperative to alter the appearance of at least one of the plurality ofsymbols displayed on the film.
 2. The gaming machine of claim 1, furthercomprising a data source in communication with the film, the data sourcecontrolled by the controller.
 3. The gaming machine of claim 1, whereinthe film comprises a plurality of charged particles positioned between atop electrode and a bottom electrode.
 4. The gaming machine of claim 3,wherein the top electrode is either transparent or translucent.
 5. Thegaming machine of claim 3, wherein the plurality of charged particlescomprises a plurality of positively charged particles and a plurality ofnegatively charged particles suspended in a fluid.
 6. The gaming machineof claim 5, wherein the fluid is either transparent or translucent. 7.The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the positively charged particlesand the negatively charged particles are of at least two differentcolors.
 8. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the bottom electrodecomprises a plurality of charge points, wherein a plurality of chargedparticles is positioned adjacent to at least one charge point.
 9. Thegaming machine of claim 8, wherein each charge point imparts either apositive or negative charge on adjacent charged particles.
 10. A methodof conducting a wagering game on a gaming machine, the methodcomprising: receiving a wager from a player; rotating at least onerotatable reel, the reel including a plurality of symbols, the reelcomprising a reel strip arranged about the periphery of a cage, the reelstrip comprising an alterable film for displaying a plurality ofsymbols, the film comprising a plurality of charged particles positionedbetween a top electrode and a bottom electrode; and altering theappearance of at least one of the plurality of symbols displayed on thefilm.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein a first portion of the chargedparticles are repelled by at least one of the top electrode and thebottom electrode.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the altering stepcomprises modifying a charge on at least a portion of one of the topelectrode and the bottom electrode to cause the first portion of chargedparticles to be repelled.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the topelectrode is either transparent or translucent such that at least aportion of the charged particles are visible through the top electrode.14. A gaming machine comprising: a value input device for receiving awager; a housing; a display for displaying a plurality of symbols, thesymbols indicating a randomly-selected outcome selected from a pluralityof possible outcomes, the plurality of outcomes including at least onewinning outcome; at least one electrophoretic film forming an alterabledisplay; and a controller operative to alter the appearance of the film.15. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein the film is positioned on atleast one button supported by the housing.
 16. The gaming machine ofclaim 14, wherein the film is positioned on the housing to displaysignage associated with a theme of the gaming machine.
 17. The gamingmachine of claim 14, wherein the controller causes a data source toalter the appearance of an image displayed on the film.
 18. The gamingmachine of claim 14, wherein the controller is operative to download afirst image and a second image from one or more external systems,wherein the controller configures the film to selectively display eitherthe first image or the second image.
 19. The gaming machine of claim 18,wherein the first image is associated with a first theme of the gamingmachine and the second image is associated with a second theme of thegaming machine.
 20. A computer readable storage medium encoded withinstructions for directing a gaming device to perform the method ofclaim 10.